Can-opener



Mom?) W. B. NUTTER.

CAN OPENER.

Patented Nov. 15, 1887.

Witnesses UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

WALTER B. N UTTER, OF SCARBOROUGH, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRED ERIC 0. BRIDGHAM, OF CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,412, dated November 15, 1887.

Application filed February is, 1887. Serial No. 228,105. (Model) T all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER B. NUTTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scarborough, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine. have invented a certain new and useful Improved Oan-0pener, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device by means of which cans of tin-plate or other thin sheet metal may be opened more readily and conveniently than can be done by the devices now in use.

My device is constructed as described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are hereby made a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a perspective view of my device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my device, with thejointed band for holding the can in position closed. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the same, with the jointed band closed and the cam-headed lever,which secures the band when in the position shown in Fig. 2, closed.

Sameletters show like parts in all the figures.

At A is shown a clamp'for attaching the device to the edge of a table or a bench, which may be done conveniently by a thumb-screw passing down through the upper part of the clamp and bearing upon the edge of the table or bench.

B is the circular plate firmly attached to and integral with the standard M, connecting it with the clamp A, this standard M being integral with A. At a upon the plate B is pivoted the arm 0, and at the end of O, opposite to the pivot a, is the slot at and the engagingstud 1, and at b on G the lever D is pivoted, and upon the short arm of D the knife E is shown, having two edges, one upon each side, and having the barb c, as shown, which is also double-edged, the long arm ofthe lever D having the handled for the convenience of being grasped by the operator. W'hen the handle at is moved toward the clamp A, Fig. 3, the stud y strikes the end of x and O and D are very nearly in a straight line, and the knife E is then in position near enough to the central pivot,a,to cut through the side of the can; but when d is moved away from A the stud y moves along the slot 00 (which is segmental in form to permit this movement) to the end ofx away from A. The levers O and D are at an obtuse angle with each other, but still continuous in operation, from the central pivot, a, and this motion continued carries the knife E on the end of D back to the point where it is to begin its out, but thrown out of the line of its out in the passage backward. In the movement which puts O and D at an obtuse angle to each other D turns on the pivot b.

At F, Fig. 3, is shown the lever pivoted at f, this lever F having the cam g at its end. The parts F, G, H, and I form together a jointed band for encircling the can and holding it firmly in place while the top is being cut in the manner hereinafter described. The parts F and G and H and I are jointed by a joint between each pair, and form a continuous band to encompass the can,as follows: The part I is provided with the stud h, by which, when the parts F, G, H, and I are brought together around the body of the can, a slot in G is engaged, and F being thrown inward by the operation of the cam 9 against the stud h, the several parts are drawn firmly around the can, holding it firmly in position. \Vhen G and D are in such position (which will bring them in nearly a straight line from the pivot to) that the engaging-stud y presses against the end of the slot 00 toward the clamp A, and the lever D moved toward the clamp A, this motion makes the two parts 0 and D a continuous lever operating from the central pivot, a, the resistance being the operation of the knife in cutting the tin, the motion being in the direc tion to press the stud y against the end of the slot x; but if the motion is in the opposite direction the lever D will turn upon the pivot b and out of line with O. The slotx is in the form of a segment of a circle to permit the free movement of the stud y throughout its whole length.

The knife E has two sharp edges, one upon each side of the curved point, and the first motion of the operator in cutting after the can has been put in position, as hereinbefore described, is to grasp the handle d firmly with the fingers of the right hand and put the ball of the thumb against the side of D, bringing 0 and D into line with each other, during which motion the stud y entirely traverses the length of the segmental slot 00, which motion of the levers advances the knife E against the can, and at the same time gives a rocking out to the convex edge of the knife, this out being continued until the incision is long enough to allow the point of the knife to pass through the side of the can, the cut thus far being made with the convex curve of the knife E. O and D having now come in line with each other, they are so retained by the stud y in the slot 20, and the levers O and D now operating as one on the pivot a, the knife cuts the tin with the concave edge quite around the can, or nearly so. The general shape of the knife E,as shown, is made necessary by the requirement of having the outer convex edge of the knife an are of sufficient length to make the first cut, as above described.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The can to be operated upon is-placed with the end which it is desired to remove uppermost within the parts F, G, H, and I, with the upper end of the can against the plate B. The slot 70 is put over the stud h, and by turning the lever'or part F the cam g presses against h, and the can is thus held firmly in position for opening. The operator then grasps the handle at of the lever D, which turns upon its own pivot b, and the'knife E is thus thrust through the tin, cutting backward until the point of the knife has out quite through the tin. The levers D and G then operate to gether, with the slot or and the engaging-stud y engaged as one lever from the central pivot, a, and is brought around from right to left, the knife cutting its way through the side of the can and nearly quite around it, leaving but a very narrow strip of the tin uncut. The knife being upon the end of the lever D, and this lever being pivoted to the under side of C, the knife is thus brought below the end of the can to cut at the proper point for opening.

Iam aware of Letters Patent to W. M. Bleak ley, No.,95,873, for improvement in can-openers, dated October 19, 1869, and I claim none of the devices described therein. In the use of my invention the can is not punctured to form a fulcrum for the lever carrying the knife; the can to be opened is not held in the hand of the operator, but by the device itself, while the cut is made, and my device has the advantage of the very powerful leverage of D turning upon the pivot b to make the hardest cutthat is, the first puncture of the metal of the can.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

1. In a can opening device, as herein described, the jointed hinged band provided with the cam-headed lever F, engaging with the studh, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth. 7

2. In a device for opening cans, the combination of the two-part lever O and D, pivoted to the central plate at a, the two parts being pivoted at b and provided with the slot at and stud y, with the knife E, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

3. The improved can-opener consisting of the plate B, arm 0, lever I), knife'E, lever F and its parts G, H, and I, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

, WALTER B. NUTTER. Witnesses:

WM. P. HORRIE,

JOSEPH OASTELL, Jr. 

